Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-02-10

and mechanics stopped in their toll to look
after them. The critical eye of Red Dog,
perhaps from the sun, perhaps from the fact
that it had itself once been young and dissi-
pated, took on kindly moisture as it gazed.
The moon was high when they returned
Those who had waited to congratulate Jack
on this near prospect of favorable change i'll
his fortunes were chagrined to find that, hav-
ing seen the lady safe home be had himself
departed from Red Dog. Nothing was TO be
CLEANED from Peg, who, on the next day and
ensuing days, Kept the even tenor of Der way,
sunk thousand or two more in unsuccessful
speculation, and made no change in her habits
Of personal economy. Weeks passed without
any apparent sequel to this romantic idyl.
Nothing was known definitely until Jack, a
month later, turned up in Sacramento with
q billiard cue in his hand, and heart over
charged with indignant emotion. Il don't
mind saying to you, gentlemen in conf
dence, said Jack to circle of sympathizing
players-"i don't mind telling you regarding
this thing, that was rs soft on that freckled
faced, red eyed, tallow haired gal as if she'd
been--a-a--an actress. And l don't mind
saying, gentlemen, that as far as l under
stand women, she was jus. as soft on me.
You kin laugh; but it's So One day took
her out buggy riding--in style, too--and out
on the road l offered TO do the square thing,
just as if she'd been a lady--offered to marry
| her chen and there. And what did she doF said
Jack, with hysterical laugh. why, blank
it ALI offered me S25 a week allowance-pay
TO be stopped when l wasn't at homel" The
roar of laughter that greeted this frank con-
| fession was broken by quiet voice asking,
sand what did you sayl"-"Sayin screamed
| Jack, II just told her to go to with her
! money. "--"They say" continued he quiet
| voice, that you asked her for the loan of
| $3.50 to get you to Sacramento-and that you
| got 1t. n-"Who says so?' roared Jack. "Show
| me the blank liar" There was a dead silence
Then tho possessor of the quiet voice, Mr..
Jack Hamlin, languidly reached under the
table, took the chalk, and, rubbing the eud
of his billiard cue, began with gentle gravity:
| ait was an old friend of mine in Sacramento,
a man with a wooden leg, a game eye, three
fingers on his right hand and a consnmptive
cough. Being unable, naturally, to back
himself, no leaves things to me, So, for the
sake of argument continued Hamlin, sud
denly laying down his cue and fixing his
wicked black eyes Oh the speaker, SAY it's
| mel"
am afraid that this story, whether truth
full or not, did not tend TO increase Pegs pop
ularity in community whore reclilessness
and generosity condoned for the absence of
all tho other virtues and it is possible also
that Red Dog was no more free from preju-
dice than other more civilized but equally
disappointed matchmakers Likewise, dur
ing the following year, she made several more
foolish ventures, and lost heavily In fact, a
feverish desire to increase her store at almost
any risk seemed to possess her. At last it
was announced that she intended to reopen
the infelix Rockville hotel, and keep it
herself Wild as this scheme appeared
in theory when put into practical
operation there seemed to be some
chance of success. Much, doubtless, was
owing to her practical knowledge of hotel
keeping, but more TO her rigid economy and
untiring industry The mistress of millions,
she cooked, washed, waited on table, made
the beds and labored like common mental.
| Visitors we're attracted by this novel specta-
| Gle. The income of the house increased as
their respect for the hostess lessened No
| anecdote Of her avarice was TOO extravagant
| for current belief 1t was even alleged that
she had been known to carry the luggage Of
guests to their rooms, that she might antici-
pate the usual porters gratuity. She denied
| herself the ordinary neceSsaries of life. She
was poorly clad, she was ill-fed--but the
| hotel making money.
A few limited OF insanity; others shook their
bends, and said curse was entailed on the
| property. 1t was believed, also, from her
| appearance. that she could not long survive
this tax On her energies, and already there
was discussion as to the probable final dispo-
sition of her property.
| 1t was the peculiar fortune of Mr.. Jack
| Hamlin to he able to set the world right on
this and other questions regarding her.
| A stormy December evening had set in
when he CHANGED to be guest ut the Rock
vile hotel He had, during the past week,
been engaged in the prosecution Of his noble
| profession at Red Dog, and had, in the
| graphic language OF coadjutor, "clcarcd out
the town. except his fare in the pockets of the
stage driver The Red Dog Standard had
bewailed his departure in playful obituary
verse, beginning, Dearest Johnny, thou
hast left US, wherein the rhymes "bereft u.s.
and "deploro" carried vague allusion to "a
thousand dollars more A quiet content
ment naturally suffused his personality, and
he was more than usually lazy and deliberate
| in his speech. At midnight, when lie was
about u retire, be was little surprised,
however, by tap on his door, followed by
the presence of Mistress Peg MofYat, heiress,
and landlady OF Rockville hotel
Mr.. Hamlin, despite his previous defense of
Peg, had no hiking for her. His fastidious
| taste rejected her uncomeliness: his habits of
thought and life were all antagonistic to
what he had heard of her niggardliness and
! greed As she stood there, in dirty calico
wrapper, still rcdolent with the DAYS cuisine,
crimson with embarrassment and the recent
heat Of the kitchen range, she certainly was
not ar aluring apparition. Happily for the
latensss OF the hour, her loneliness and the
infelix reputation of the man before her, she
| WdS ~ iedSt safe ONO. ANU L rear tHe very
consciousness of this scarcely relieved her
| embarrassment
II wanted to say few words to We alone,
Mr. Hamlin," she began, taking an unoffered
seat on the end OF his portmanteau, cor
shouldn't hev intruded. But it's the only
time l can ketch you, or you me; for I'm
down in the kitchen from sunup till now"
She stopped awkwardly, as If TO listen to the
wind, which was rafting the windows, and
spreading film of rain against the Opaque
darkness without. Then, smoothing her
wrapper over her knees, she remarked, as if
opening desultory conversation:
"Thar's power of rain outside
Mr.. Hamlin's only response TO this metz
geological observation was yawn, and pre-
iminary tug at his coat as he began to re
| move it.
Il thought ye couldn't mind doin' me a
favor" continued Peg, with hard, awk-
ward laugh, 'partik'ly seein' ez folks allowed
you'd sorter bin friend o. mine, and he'd
stood up for ME at times when you hedn't
any partihaer call to do it. l hewitt" she
continued, looking down on her lap, and
following with her finger and thumb seam
Of her gown-"I hewitt so many friends ez
sings kind word for me these times that
disremember them" Her under lip quivered